Members of the Missouri House of Representatives recognized a Jefferson City veteran who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
Lloyd Cain, 96, was born in 1923 and raised in rural Indiana. He joined the U.S. Army in 1943 and was soon fighting in Germany.
Cain received the Silver Star Medal - the third-highest combat decoration - as a forward observer who helped direct mortar fire toward the enemy. He would fire white phosphorous rounds into enemy foxholes to force them to evacuate. Cain made four excursions into enemy-held territory.
Several months later, he received a battlefield commission - a promotion given for outstanding leadership on the field of battle - after successfully leading a squad in an attack against German resistance in Hagenbach, Germany. The attack resulted in no American casualties.
During the final three years of his career in the military, Cain served as the senior army adviser with the Missouri National Guard headquarters in Jefferson City. He retired as a colonel in 1976 after 33 years of service.